[ LETTER ]

Guns Don't Help Situation

Published: Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 2:06 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 2:06 a.m.

When I gathered with the old geezers for our regular luncheon, the subject of gun control came up. I mentioned that, in England, the cops did not carry handguns and that handguns were, for the most part, banned. I followed up by saying deaths from firearms there were among the lowest in the civilized world.

One of my friends differed, saying in England deaths were about on the par with the U.S. And so to Google. Deaths from firearms in the U.S. are 10.2 per 100,000 citizens. Deaths from firearms in the United Kingdom are 0.25 per 100,000. The death rate from firearms in the United Kingdom is much less than here.

And the NRA wants to add more guns to our society? Those figures are sobering and put the lie to the claim that more guns are beneficial to our society.

When I was in infantry basic training prior to shipping out to Korea in the 1950s, after receiving our rifles, the drill sergeant shouted, "Hear me, those are not guns, they are weapons! I do not want to ever hear you refer to them as guns."

Perhaps if the gun lobby were recast as the weapon lobby, we might more appropriately understand the meaning of a gun, a term void of any emotion or preciseness as to purpose.

<p>When I gathered with the old geezers for our regular luncheon, the subject of gun control came up. I mentioned that, in England, the cops did not carry handguns and that handguns were, for the most part, banned. I followed up by saying deaths from firearms there were among the lowest in the civilized world.</p><p>One of my friends differed, saying in England deaths were about on the par with the U.S. And so to Google. Deaths from firearms in the U.S. are 10.2 per 100,000 citizens. Deaths from firearms in the United Kingdom are 0.25 per 100,000. The death rate from firearms in the United Kingdom is much less than here.</p><p>And the NRA wants to add more guns to our society? Those figures are sobering and put the lie to the claim that more guns are beneficial to our society.</p><p>When I was in infantry basic training prior to shipping out to Korea in the 1950s, after receiving our rifles, the drill sergeant shouted, "Hear me, those are not guns, they are weapons! I do not want to ever hear you refer to them as guns."</p><p>Perhaps if the gun lobby were recast as the weapon lobby, we might more appropriately understand the meaning of a gun, a term void of any emotion or preciseness as to purpose.</p><p>WHIT WEIHE</p><p>Lakeland</p>